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זֵרֹעַ

𐤆𐤓𐤏

zêrôaʻ

H2235 noun

SILEX Entry

Root זרע to sow, scatter seed, produce offspring

Definition

A sown agricultural product, particularly edible seeds or legumes cultivated for food; in biblical Hebrew, especially refers to 'pulse'—that is, seeds of leguminous plants, as a food staple, typically in plural form indicating varieties or types. Used to denote this class of food in contrast to cereal grains.

Semantic Range

seed sown as food, legume, pulse, edible seed of a sown plant, vegetable (specifically in reference to food staples such as beans or lentils)

Root / Etymology

From the root זרע (z-r-ʿ), 'to sow, scatter seed.' The noun זֵרֹעַ or זֵרָעֹן is a nominal formation referring to the outcome of sowing—a 'thing sown'—which develops the lexical meaning of an edible seed such as a legume or pulse.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term appears primarily in post-exilic biblical texts (notably Daniel 1:12, 16), denoting the edible seeds or pods of leguminous plants (such as beans or lentils) as opposed to ordinary grains (such as wheat or barley). Its use in Daniel contrasts such 'pulse' foods with richer royal fare, associated with dietary restriction and asceticism. The plural form reinforces that it designates a category of food rather than a specific plant. English translations often render it as 'pulse' or 'vegetables', though the Hebrew specifically emphasizes seeds that are sown as food (leguminous plants), not all kinds of vegetables. This differentiates it from other Hebrew terms for vegetables (יָרָק, yâraq), which have a broader scope including leafy greens. The term is post-classical and relatively rare; it does not occur in pentateuchal or monarchic-period texts, and its meaning is informed by context and post-biblical Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or זֵרָעֹן; from זָרַע; something sown (only in the plural), i.e. a vegetable (as food); pulse.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

זרע (z-r-ʿ) — to sow, scatter seed, produce offspring

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1872 דְּרַע and his arms
H2220 זְרוֹעַ in an outstretched arm
H2221 זֵרוּעַ sown produce
H2232 זָרַע let me sow seed
H2233 זֶרַע in their seed

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2235-02 זֵרְעֹנִֽים zereonim HNcmpa seeds sown legumes 1
H2235-01 הַ/זֵּרֹעִ֛ים hazeroim HTd/Ncmpa the vegetables the sown legumes 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2235-01 Daniel 1:12 הַ/זֵּרֹעִ֛ים hazeroim HTd/Ncmpa the vegetables the sown legumes
H2235-02 Daniel 1:16 זֵרְעֹנִֽים zereonim HNcmpa seeds sown legumes
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